Fairly new to horses and this forum, so I apologize for the long post. I have only been riding about a year and a half - weekly lessons from the start and plan on continuing that. So, in a short time i have come a long way, but lack experience when issues come up. After three failed attempts early on to find a horse that was a good fit, I ended up with a mare that my Mom actually sold five years ago (was too much for her - a lifelong rider - to handle) to a family with a daughter who was jumping. She went through extensive training and the girl jumped her for 4 years. When the girl went off to college, they gave her back to my Mom, who then gave her to me. She is 14, well trained and has put up with my sometimes still confusing beginner cues really well. I have been doing dressage and am starting to get into working equitation - she does really well out at events and needs a job - she is also very ADHD and you have to work to keep her attention. Good ground manners and very forward moving - but again, well trained and does what i ask her to do, although sometimes it takes a few seconds, which could be my communication issue. We are several months into my finally learning to canter (just so you have an idea of where I am at training wise). I live in an equestrian community with trails and have made some horse friends and occasionally ride out with them. She is good on the trails, not spooky at all - although she is not a typical “trail” horse (or so my mom tells me - after i have the following issues of course lol - and is part of why she got rid of her in the first place). For the first time, a couple of weeks ago, i left off my fellow riders and rode home alone - was maybe a mile or so, but she had been super good on the ride and was nice and relaxed. Something set her off and she started jigging (normal for her and something i have been struggling with). When i got her to stop, she gave a little threaten to buck and i made her move her feet - cause that was NOT going to happen (if i could help it!) - and she took off with me, galloping all the way home (lots of love to every trainer i have had - i managed to not fall off! Yay me!). Where i was riding was a narrow path at the top of a drainage ditch, i had never galloped before, she wasn’t listening to me and it was too narrow (and she was going too fast) for me to attempt circling her. Since then, i have only taken her out twice and both times when it came to part ways with the others, i got off and walked her home (thinking to save me from a possible fall and thinking maybe i could control her a little better from the ground - you know, a nice leisurely walk, stop and graze, get some bonding time in). Unfortunately, i think after trying this, i feel less safe on the ground than i would in the saddle. I even took a rope halter with me last night to use for the walk home. She has not actually taken off when i do this, but she seems tensed to flee and jigs the whole way - i have to circle her constantly (putting her in a position to half circle and then stop with me between her and home), stop and back her repeatedly and she also is on top of me half the time and i am constantly trying to push her out of my space. I will have my trainer walk out with me when she comes this week, but was hoping for some advice on here - things to better get her attention when she does this to try and re-direct her and calm her down so it’s not a battle. Luckily, a neighbor was out last night and saw me and was able to talk me down from my nerves being sky high after making it about half way home alone. She said to relax, breathe, speak softly and calmly to her, relax the vice grip i had on the rope, etc. It helped me - a lot! She calmed down a little, but was still in my space (no, i did not think to pull my crop out from under the saddle where i had stored it and use that to push her over. Sigh.) and jigging, just not as hyper about it. I don’t ride home alone anymore - now i feel like i can’t walk home alone anymore either (and actually feel like it would be safer if i had been riding her). Trail riding is not something i feel like i absolutely must do and is not the direction i am taking her in - but it would be nice if we could go out on occasion and not worry about if i will get home ok.
I am glad you are okay.
You said that this is the reason your mother sold her as she was too much to handle for a lifeling rider.
You also said you are only starting to learn to canter.
So slow things down.
She is good supposedly in the arena and in lessons. Stay with that for awhile.
If she feels too much in the arena and in lessons then lessen her feed. Other than that you have trainers on hand so they are the ones who can see you in person with her and you have the lifelong experience of your mother as well.
You have a very long post with lots of facets in it. I’ll only address your jigging question and leave the rest for those who are more expert. Then I’ll give you my opinion on your horse --which you didn’t ask for . . .jigging, can be addressed but it takes a plan, repetition, and consistent work ideally on a daily basis, but the best you can do to address the issue often. Going forward, you must tell yourself that jigging is NEVER ok. Then set yourself up for success. Start by teaching the one-rein-stop —lots of how-tos on YouTube —watch more than one. Do not just yank your horse’s head around and scream whoa —instead the one rein stop begins at a stand still with a loose rein. Gently reach down and grasp the rein (one side or the other, but not both), and pull horse’s head to your leg, but allowing enough room for the horse to relax the rein a bit more. Wait for two things --the feet to stop moving, and the horse to relax the rein --then immediately release and sit for 5-10 seconds. Do the other side. Repeat each side 10-20 times or more. After a few days (sometimes takes 5) horse learns that the second you reach down for the rein, the feet are to stop moving and the head to come back and relax (soften). That gets the horse the reward of release. Then do it at the walk --but now horse knows the game. You reach forward, pressure om one rein, feet stop moving and horse softens her head and neck responding to your cue. When you are 100% at the walk --do it at the trot. Again, and again, and again, daily, weekly, until you have a 100% of the time. Then do it at the canter --but at the canter, remember to “shut down” the horse after only 4-5 strides at the start. Horse will feel you reach and slow on her own, but you don’t want her going full out. That will come. When the canter one-rein-stop is mastered, add another horse to the mix --have that horse pass you going all ways at the walk-trot-canter until your horse will stop regardless of what that horse is doing. You could add more horses or at this point --take the show on the road. Not far from your barn, walk out to the trails, then turn around --you are trying to evoke a jig. The SECOND the horse starts to jig, one rein stop, and do not at any point fail to do this. Horse must learn any jig-step results in a one-rein stop. Do this over and over until you get a flat-footed, loose rein walk back to the barn even if it only a few steps back. Then start adding more distance. When you are ready, add another horse. Add more distance, add a trot, then a canter. Do not allow even one jig step --oh, one -rein stop will address your bucking issue too.
This works. My horse is in his second year of fox hunting. I prefer a flat footed walk after a hunt or whenever I want a flat footed walk. One of the other members, also with a jigger and I formed a pact and decided we were going to end jigging. Sometimes it took us an hour longer to return to the hunt club after the rest went in because we did one-rein stops every time our horses jigged. It did take about 20 hunts --but both our horses now, regardless of what the other horses do --gallop past–run in circles–gig our two horses WALK flat footed back to the hunt club every hunt.
Now, my opinion —pick a trainer you like who has a good series of DVDs --ground work and riding —start working your way through them systematically. You could ask your trainer whom she prefers. There’s a lot going on with your horse that ground work (training her to respect you on the ground) will improve --and you have a lot of issues that I think should be addressed at a far more basic level than you are riding. My horse was totally trained, cutting/sorting guy --smart horse --but he tried every trick he knew to evade ME when riding (he’d always been ridden by young men who had different expectations than I did, were stronger, and well, kind of spoke a different horse language than I did.) --we went back to the basics, and between us over a few months learned each other’s language so that riding became team work and not me trying to force him to do things and him trying to evade… My cutting sorting horse is now a first flight foxhunter with a reputation for being a solid ride. Two years of working with him 5 days a week . . .and following the plan laid out by the DVDs . . .but it all starts with a one rein stop.
Yes, she is good in the arena (although i have to push her to work sometimes at home) and if i trailer her out somewhere to an event, she is good (although antsy to get going - she likes a job to do and gets impatient). Although I am 50 years old, not having ridden all my life, I haven’t been hurt enough to not want a forward moving horse - unfortunately, my mom wants slow and steady after too many injuries, so is a bit nervous with horses that have more energy - of course, she is 72 and i don’t blame her at all 
Thanks for responding!
Foxglove, thanks so much for the one reign stop instructions - guess what we will be doing tonight? lol! As to the ground work, at home she is a gem - her ground manners are impeccable at home - never crowds my space, stands for everything (even helps where she can) and the ground work we do, she is willing and listens well - apparently not so much walking back on the trails 
But we will go back and incorporate some ground work and try to improve our communication and bond. I have had her about a year (not sure i said that before), and knowing she was trained and not having any problems until recently, i likely do not do enough of that with her, so we will take a step back and add more of that in. I’ll also ask my trainer about a DVD series - great thoughts and ideas! Thanks!
